Clip for securing hosepipes and like uses

Claim 1

A releasable hose clip for tightly clamping an article such as a hose pipe, said clip comprising (1) a band for encircling the article, and (2) a pair of interlocking elements at the respective ends of the band, said elements being interengageable with each other to secure the clip tightly around the article being clamped, wherein: (a) a first of said interlocking elements is constituted by a pair of radially-spaced jaws having a space therebetween, the radially-inner jaw having a set of teeth formed on a radially-outer face thereof and the radially-outer jaw having a set of teeth formed on a radially-inner face thereof, the teeth of each of said sets extending in an axial direction and having backwardly-sloping rear surfaces, (b) the other of said interlocking elements of the pair is constituted by a single-piece tongue having a set of teeth formed on each of a radially-inner face and a radially-outer face thereof, the teeth of each of said sets extending in an axial direction and having backwardly-sloping rear surfaces, said set of teeth on said tongue being capable of interengaging with said set of teeth on said jaws to secure the clip around said article, (c) said jaws define an open jaw mouth through which said tongue can be inserted in its longitudinal direction, tip first into the jaws to interengage said sets of teeth, and (d) the space between said jaws is open at the opposed axially spaced sides thereof to permit said tongue when engaged in the jaws to be moved axially relative to the jaws to disengage the tongue from the jaws, (e) the jaws are connected together by a resilient bridging member.